


Sweetwater River

by Null123



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, I tried to make them talk like kids but it was hard so toni says cool a lot, NO CELL PHONES OR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE ITS SORT OF THE 60’s SORT OF, a 1960’s/modern hybrid, beronica for the win, blossom parents are less shitty but still pretty shitty asexual aromantic jughead jones, no bad stuff from the 1960’s, no racisim and only a slight bit of homophobia but it’s a lot more normalized than in the 60’s, veronica lodge starts the gay revolution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15134699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Null123/pseuds/Null123
Summary: What if I never forget you? What if, for the rest of my life when I meet someone new, I can never fall for them because they aren’t you?ORToni and Cheryl meet at Sweetwater River as kids and have a beautiful and crazy life together and apart.





	1. 11

**Author's Note:**

> prepare to cry...see you on the other side
> 
> PLEASE LISTEN TO THE SONG WHILE YOU READ THE CHAPTER IT FITS THE MOOD

_11._

_[Pretty Little Angel Eyes – Curtis Lee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZT__JFMUgU) _

**_1956_ **

It was the summer before sixth grade in Riverdale, New York. The early August air was humid, almost palpable in the air. It made bare thighs stick to leather seats and ice cream melt at a faster rate than you could eat it. Summer was 11-year-old Cheryl Blossom’s favorite season, loving not having to go to school and instead spending her time drawing or going with Nana Rose to Sweetwater River. Her twin brother Jason always came along too, allowing the two children to cool off from the heat in the water. Their grandmother watched from the shore, nestled in her beach chair with large sunglasses and her latest book. This was back when Nana Rose didn’t need to get around in a wheelchair, back in the days of Cheryl’s youth.

On this particular August day, the air was so hot that it seemed the entirety of Riverdale was occupying the river’s beach. Some were sun bathing, trying to get as tan as they could before the cool fall weather began. Others splashed in the water, treading it when it up to their necks. Tall evergreen trees surrounded either side of the river, tempting civilians to enter the forest for some cool shade. Cheryl looked around at everyone, more hesitant to go in the water than her brother. She was wearing her new red one-piece bathing suit, which made her think she was hot stuff for a girl at eleven.

Jason rushed passed her, shirt already off as he ran into the water. He dived belong the surface, allowing the clear water to envelop him entirely. Cheryl walked tentatively up to the shoreline, examining the many children that were laughing and playing in the water. There was a group of teens who were attempting to climb the massive boulders that ran up the river, other groups were playing Marco Polo and chicken fight. There was one group farther away, standing where the water went passed their belly buttons. There was a girl on the back of a boy, trying as hard as she could to drag him under the water's surface. Two other boys were with them, cheering them on. She had long dark brown hair, wet from the water and cascading over her shoulder. Cheryl noticed a single pink highlight in her hair, framing her face nicely. When the boy let her down, Cheryl noticed her plain black swimsuit. She had a gold colored necklace around her neck and an amplitude of bracelets on both wrists. 

Cheryl and Jason chose to stay towards the shallow end of the water. She watched as he would pick up flat rocks to skip over the surface of the water. She noticed him longingly stare at the group of kids roughhousing. There was a scream and splash, causing both to look over at them. The boy who had her on his back had flipped her over, successfully dunking her in the water. She surfaced and quickly jumped on him, followed by the other two boys.

Surprisingly, Jason had set down the rocks and was wading in the water towards them. He had always been the friendlier twin, making friends everywhere he went. He had that natural charisma that Cheryl lacked. She always hovered in his shadow.

Her toes touched the water, the cool sensation inviting her in to escape the humid thick heat in the air. She walked in slowly, trailing after Jason who was talking to the group of kids Cheryl had noticed.

“No, my mom doesn’t let me go to the Southside,” Jason was saying to the tall boy with the girl on his back. Cheryl walked up behind him, standing in the water as Jason talked. He turned his head to look at her, offering her a small smile.

“Who’s this?” the pretty girl with the pink highlight asked.

“This is my twin sister Cheryl,” Jason said, pointing behind him. “I’m three minutes older than her.”

Cheryl glanced between the girl and the boys around her. She was the shortest out of them, as well as the nicest looking. The taller boy looked scary, with temporary tattoos of skulls and dragons on his arms. His wet black hair was falling in his eyes, causing him to push it away from his face hastily. One of the boys was skinny and pale, freckles dotting his cheeks and nose. The last one had soft brown eyes, but an intimidating necklace around his neck.

“I like that name,” the girl smiled, revealing a missing canine tooth. Her teeth were crooked, but she smiled so big that Cheryl didn’t think she seemed to care. “My name’s Toni.”

The other boys said their names too, all of them had a funny name. The boy with the temporary tattoos was Sweet Pea, Jughead was the skinny one, and Fangs was the one with the brown eyes. Cheryl didn’t know how she felt about them, the girl seemed friendly enough. Jason seemed to like them, and her brother was usually right when it came to people.

“Do you wanna play with us?” Sweet Pea asked, smiling. He looked a lot less intimidating when he smiled. “We’re playing pretend.”

Somehow, they had gotten wrapped up in a game Fangs called “alligators and civilians.” Jughead would lurk in the water, the only part of him visible was from the nose up. He pretended to be the alligator, trying to sneak up on them and attack. Cheryl wasn’t too thrilled about this game, not wanting to get her hair wet. When Jughead caught his “victim,” he’d toss him under the water. She kept her distance, trying to laugh along as she watched Jason get body slammed underwater.

“Do you not like the game?” Toni asked, approaching her. She had been tossed under the water twice already. Her hair was dripping with the river water and she shook her head frantically in attempts to get the water out of her ears. “You haven’t even said anything to us, are you shy?”

Cheryl crossed her arms, “ _No_ , I’m not shy.” That was a lie, she _was_ shy. But, she didn't want the pretty girl to know that.

“Then why aren’t you talking?” she pried.

Cheryl shrugged, “I don’t really like this game.”

Toni turned around to look at the boys, too busy laughing as Fangs ran away from Jughead. He tripped on a rock on the bottom of the river, causing him to fall under the surface. Even Cheryl giggled at the sight.

“Hey, we’re going to go look for some cool rocks by the beach,” Toni announced.

“Have fun!” Sweet Pea responded. They barely even seemed to register it, Cheryl was just glad Jason was having fun with boys who weren't mean to her.

Toni and Cheryl retreated towards the beach, making Cheryl wonder why Toni had taken such an interest in her. Toni began to talk about motorcycles, something Cheryl knew nothing of. She learned that Toni grew up on the Southside, grew up with motorcycles and wanted one of her own someday. She was an only child, liked cupcakes a lot, and had never left New York state.

“What about you?” Toni asked, her ramble ending. She picked up a smooth rock from the ground, examining it carefully. “What’s something cool about you?”

“Um…” Cheryl trailed off, looking down at her feet. She didn’t think she’d have to come up with stuff about herself. “I really like to...well, I’m taking archery lessons.”

“ _Archery_?” Toni asked in amazement. She looked at Cheryl like she was the coolest person she had ever met. “That’s _so_ cool! Like with a bow and arrow? Do you shoot a tree or a target?”

“A target. I hit the bullseyes a few days ago,” Cheryl admitted, smiling slightly. No one had ever really taken an interest in the fact she did archery before.

“Can you teach me? I bet I could hit it too!” Toni said, pretending to shoot an imaginary arrow from an imaginary bow.

Cheryl giggled, “It’s kind of hard. I couldn’t even reach the target when I first started.”

“Cheryl, who’s your friend?” Nana Rose asked from her spot on the beach. Toni and Cheryl had walked towards her, causing her attention to be lifted from _Murder on the Orient Express_.

“Oh, um-.”

“I’m Toni Topaz!” Toni smiled, waving at Nana Rose. “Cheryl’s telling me about how good she is at archery!”

Nana Rose smiled, “She is quite good. You’d have to see her. Would you both like a juice box?”

She didn’t need to ask twice; Toni and Cheryl accepted the fruit punch juice boxes eagerly. They were kept in a cooler right next to Nana Rose, the cool liquid helping with the heat. Toni continued to chat with Nana Rose and Cheryl could tell the girl was talkative. She asked Nana Rose about her book and actually seemed interested in the plot. She even gasped when Nana Rose told her who she thought did it.

“Where are your parents, dear?” Nana Rose asked. “Did you come here alone?”

Toni shook her head, “I don’t have parents. I live with my uncle and my grandpa. I came with my friends.”

Cheryl found it easier to talk to Toni as time went on. Her mother had always told her terrible things about the people of the Southside, but Toni was alright. She was nice and pretty, maybe her mother had been wrong.


	2. 12

_12._

_[Sealed with a Kiss – Brian Hyland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcS8CJwHfqI) _

**_1957_ **

It was a lot easier to play pretend when her friends Josie McCoy and Veronica Lodge came to the river too. Toni made it easier too, she had become fast friends with Cheryl once Cheryl got over her shyness. Josie and Veronica were a lot less shy than Cheryl, helping her converse with Toni’s friends. Her friends weren’t as bad as she thought once she had gotten to know them. Apparently, Toni and her friends would go to Sweetwater River on most days, so she was always there when Nana Rose took she and Jason. It made Cheryl eager to go to the river, begging her nana most nights to go the next day. She liked playing with Toni and liked when Josie and Veronica would go too. Fangs was really funny and Jughead was clumsy but didn’t seem to care.

It was the day before 4th of July, fireworks and many hamburgers were in their future. People were already setting off fireworks at night, impatient for the firework show downtown. Toni couldn’t stop talking about how much she liked fireworks, she and her grandpa would go every year and play a few arcade games beforehand. Cheryl didn’t understand what was so special about the arcade until Toni mentioned she only went once a year. Cheryl and Jason would go a few times a month and Cheryl wondered if Toni was poor. She was from the Southside after all. 

They were playing pretend, which was something that Toni’s friends liked to do a lot. Their play group had strayed down the river towards the big boulders. She, Veronica, Josie, and Toni were on top of a big rock as they pretended the boys were dragons trying to eat them. At one point, Toni had hopped off the rock to fend off the “dragons.” Sweet Pea was roaring like a dragon, snorting through his nose loudly as he pretended smoke was coming out of it. He was reaching to grab onto Cheryl, who screamed and rushed away from his grasp.

“I’ll save you!” Toni announced, rushing towards Sweet Pea. Although they were all princesses, Cheryl was the queen. She liked being the best out of all of them because there could only be _one_ queen. “Back scary dragon!”

“ _Toni_!” Sweet Pea whined, breaking from his dragon character. “Only _princes_ and _kings_ can save princesses and queens.”

Toni scoffed, “That’s a _stupid_ rule. I just saved Cheryl and _I’m_ a princess so you’re wrong.”

“Yeah, Sweet Pea,” Josie agreed. “Why can’t we save each other?”

Cheryl smiled down at Toni, happy that the shorter girl was defending her. Toni looked up at her, smiling brightly. Toni had braces on her crooked teeth, steel wire and brackets to add to her pretty smile. Cheryl reached her hand out to Toni, which Toni grabbed so that she could be pulled on top of the boulder. Toni was only a little bit shorter than Cheryl, starting to hit her growth spurt.

“Thank you for saving me,” Cheryl said, tapping her on the shoulders. “The queen of Riverdale has appointed you as my knight in shining armor.”

Toni bowed playfully, “Of course, Your Grace. You’re mine to serve and I’ll do anything you ask.”

Once they were securely wrapped in their towels later that day and snacking on crackers Nana Rose had brought for all of them, Toni had asked her a _very_ important question. She had pulled Cheryl aside from the group, telling her that she didn’t want the others to hear. Cheryl was extremely eager to hear what Toni needed to say.

“Do you want to be my best friend?” Toni asked. “You’re like the _coolest_ person I’ve ever met.”

Cheryl beamed, “That’s a stupid question, we already _are_ best friends.”

Toni giggled and held out her pinky finger, “Pinky promise you’re my best friend.”

Cheryl reached out and eagerly locked pinkies, “Best friends.”

Following that day, whenever they played pretend Toni was always Cheryl’s rescuer. Cheryl found that she really liked to be rescued, but only by Toni. Fangs tried to rescue her once and she wouldn’t let him, swooning dramatically and announcing only a beautiful knight/princess could save her.

* * *

 

On the last week of summer, Nana Rose had a bad fall and broke her hip. This meant that she wasn’t able to take Jason and Cheryl to the Sweetwater River anymore to see their Southside friends. Cheryl was crestfallen, disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to see Toni anymore. They only saw each other during the summer, how was she supposed to go without seeing her at all? It wasn’t like they went to the same school.

Feeling rebellious and rather daring, Cheryl decided she just _couldn’t_ stay away from her best friend and the river. It had become her favorite spot in the whole town and she got to spend time with her favorite people. Leaving Jason behind, Cheryl announced she was going to bike ride to Josie’s house. Josie lived nearby, but Sweetwater River was a lot farther of a ride. She peddled as fast as she could, towel draped over her shoulder as she anticipated her day full of swimming. If only her parents had time to take she and Jason to the river, then maybe she wouldn’t have to lie to them about where she was going. They would’ve never let her ride her bike to the river.

“Cheryl! Where’s your grandma?” Toni asked, rushing out of the water to hug the red-haired girl. “ _Nice bike_! I love purple.”

Cheryl pouted, “My grandma broke her hip and my parents don’t have time to bring us here. I’m really sad, I want to still see you guys.”

Toni frowned, “There’s a stream up the river a little bit. There’s tiny fish there... we can talk and look at them if you want. If you’re quick enough you can catch them.”

Toni took Cheryl’s hand in hers and led her towards the stream, allowing the water to reach up to their knees. Cheryl felt like crying, she always had so much fun at the river. Why did Nana Rose have to fall? Why didn’t her mom trust her enough to let her come here by herself? Toni’s family let her.

When they got to the stream, Cheryl looked down to see the tiny fish swimming in the shallow water. They dispersed as their feet walked through, too scared to get any closer. Cheryl gripped Toni’s hand tightly as she tried not to trip.

“Are you ok? I’m sorry about your grandma,” Toni said, turning around to look at Cheryl. “She always read really cool books.”

Cheryl nodded, “I’m just sad Jason and I can’t come that often anymore. I always have so much fun playing with you.”

“Your parents don’t let you to ride your bike here?” Toni asked.

“They don’t know I’m here. I said I was at Josie’s,” Cheryl sighed, looking down at the fish swimming around her feet.

“That’s stupid, Cher,” Toni sighed. “I have fun playing with you too. Too bad we’re only twelve.”

The same feeling her stomach that she always got whenever Toni rescued when they played pretend crept on her, like it was flipping and flopping around. It was a funny sensation, that made her chest tingle and a sudden urge to smile. Recently, Cheryl had been watching a lot of her grandmother’s mystery movies with her. Sometimes in it, a woman would exclaim her love for the detective and they’d kiss passionately. Cheryl watched the TV intently whenever this happened, stomach flopping in the same way it did when Toni rescued her. At night, she’d fall asleep pretending that Toni was the detective in the murder mystery who would kiss Cheryl. It was always rather dramatic in her head. They were both older because it was _adults_ who kissed and not little kids. Cheryl never saw herself as a little kid though and she didn’t see Toni as one either.

They continued to look at the fish and giggle about that time Veronica was dunked in the water by Sweet Pea. She had freaked out and was practically fuming for the rest of the day, snapping that she didn’t want to look _ugly_ in front of the blonde girl watching them by the shore. Cheryl looked at the blonde girl, who kept looking over at them shyly as she played with a brown-haired boy. Cheryl had asked Veronica later that night why she didn’t want to look ugly in front of that girl. What was so special?

_“Because, silly!” Veronica had giggled and scoffed like it was obvious. “I have a crush on her!”_

_“Aren’t boys supposed to have crushes on girls? You’re a girl,” Cheryl frowned._

_Veronica rolled her eyes, “So? It doesn’t matter what I am, I can have a crush on whoever I want. That’s what my mom and dad told me. They said anyone can have a crush on anyone they want to. And I have a crush on that girl.”_

A crush? A girl _liking_ a girl? Cheryl had never really thought about crushes. She always thought boys were too sweaty or smelly or just plain _stupid_. When she asked her mom about why Veronica wanted to look good around a crush, her mom explained that girls liked to set a good impression. She also told her that when a boy has a crush on girl, sometimes they were mean to the girl. She had never mentioned what girls would do when they had crushes on _girls_. It left Cheryl deep in thought, why had Veronica’s parents told her that people can like whoever they want? Her parents had never told her that. They always talked about her liking a boy and marrying a boy.

The more she thought about Veronica’s crush on the blonde girl, the more she thought about Toni. She never vocalized this to Veronica, not wanting to seem like she was _copying_ her. Cheryl never copied, and she was pretty sure she felt this way about Toni before Veronica even _looked_ at the blonde girl she had a crush on. After a whole summer of thought, Cheryl came to the conclusion that she had a _crush_ on Toni. A _big_ crush.

When Toni would giggle it would make Cheryl’s stomach go crazy. She found herself wanting to look good around Toni too, glancing at her mother’s makeup in the bathroom before going to the river one day. There was a burning question in the back of her mind though, did Toni have a crush on her too?

“Toni?” Cheryl asked, causing the shorter girl to look up at her from trying to catch a fish with her hand. “I have to ask you something.”

“What is it?” Toni smiled, straightening up.

Cheryl felt the words catch in her throat, “You said a while ago that you would do anything I’d ask. When I made you my knight in shining armor, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Toni nodded.

“Do you mean that?” Cheryl asked. “That you’d do anything I’d ask?”

Toni looked up at her, silent for a moment, “Of course, Cheryl. Is there something you want? Sneak you out of the house? Or catch you one of these small fish? Or-?”

“Would you kiss me?” Cheryl asked hesitantly, face immediately growing hot upon her request. Her face was probably the same color as her hair by now.

Toni’s eyebrows raised slightly, but a small smile appeared on her lips, “Am I worthy of a kiss from the queen?”

Cheryl smiled, falling back into their ongoing pretend game, “You’ve protected me from dragons and monsters and all sorts of creatures this summer. You’ve earned it.”

Toni stepped forward, getting closer than she had ever been to Cheryl. Cheryl felt her heart begin to beat rapidly in her chest, stomach flipping even more. Toni’s eyes were dark brown and brimming with warmth and happiness.

“I’ve never done this before,” Toni admitted, her voice a whisper.

“Me neither,” Cheryl countered, growing increasingly nervous. “You don’t have to do-.”

She was silenced by Toni pressing her lips to hers, teeth bumping as Cheryl was mid-sentence. She inhaled sharply and squeaked, eyes closing as she realized what was happening. Their lips were pressed innocently together, but it was enough to make Cheryl’s heart skip a few beats. The only sound heard was the running water of the stream and a distant laughter of civilians playing by the beach. Right here, Toni and Cheryl were in their own private world. One where the princess who had been saving her all summer had finally been granted a kiss from the queen.

They giggled once their lips separated, both too shocked by what happened to say anything. Cheryl felt her face still red, wondering if Toni had noticed. Toni wiped her lips, continuing to giggle. It wasn’t an awkward first kiss, like how her grandma used to describe it as. She was just glad her first kiss was with Toni and not some stupid boy.

“I liked that,” Toni admitted.

“Me too,” Cheryl smiled. “Can you catch me a fish now?”

“As you wish, my queen.”


	3. 13

_13._

[ _Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBKFoeDKJo)

**_1958_ **

Summer couldn’t come fast enough for Cheryl, who had spent most of the school year coming up with well thought out day dreams of Toni rescuing her and in return she’d grant her with a kiss. She dreamt often about the moment they shared by the stream and of _hopefully_ the more to come. When she first saw Toni on the first day of summer, she and Jason had snuck off to ride their bikes to Sweetwater River. Toni greeted them happily, hugging them both with an iron grip. They spent the summer doing what they always did, playing pretend.

Veronica had finally worked up the courage to ask the blonde girl and her friend Kevin to join them, successfully adding two more friends. Cheryl realized she knew the blonde girl, Betty Cooper. They were in the same first grade class years ago and their moms never got along. Her friend Kevin played with them now too, talking to Fangs about their favorite musical. Veronica’s crush on Betty was very _obvious_ , which made Cheryl want to roll her eyes. Betty was too shy to ever like Veronica back, Veronica was confident and loud. Betty could barely make eye contact.

Toni and Cheryl often found time to go off on their own, walking down the stream for privacy. She was sure her friends were suspicious, but they never said anything. Cheryl and Toni spent this private time trying to figure out how to kiss. Cheryl had watched countless romance films, studying how it was done. Toni didn’t seem to have the same dedication for learning, perfectly happy with occasionally pressing her lips to Cheryl’s. This time was finally different, Toni _actually_ seemed to want to kiss Cheryl longer than a second. They were sitting on a large rock, facing each other with their arms loosely hanging at their sides. She was sure this would look weird to anyone who stumbled upon them, but both were too shy to actually touch the other.

Their lips were doing more than pressing against each other, instead fitting together easily. Toni’s lips tasted like the popsicle she had just had, there was a hint of cherry to her soft pecks. They did this for what felt like ages, finally breaking from their experimenting in order to stare each other in the eyes.

“I _really_ like you,” Toni admitted, nose bumping Cheryl’s.

Cheryl smiled, “I really like you too.”

Toni leaned back and reached behind her neck to unhook the necklace she was wearing. She held it out for Cheryl, allowing her to see the small gold circle with the letter “A” engraved on it.

“Why is there an A?” Cheryl asked.

Toni giggled, “My real name’s Antoinette. But, _don’t_ call me that. My mom gave this to me when I was a baby because I was special to her. I want you to have it.”

Cheryl smiled and reached out for the necklace, “Toni this is special to you. You wear it every day.”

“Well, you’re really special to me too and I want you to wear it every day,” Toni said. “Let me help you put it on.”

Cheryl looked down at the necklace, admiring how the gold looked against her pale skin.

“Promise me you’ll never take it off,” Toni said, before kissing Cheryl’s cheek.

“I promise,” Cheryl smiled. “I have something to give you too, meet me here tomorrow?”

* * *

 

“ _Cheryl Marjorie Blossom_! You’ve been biking to Sweetwater River this _whole_ time!” her mother scolded her when she got back from the beach. “Mrs. McCoy said she hasn’t seen you in weeks and knew nothing about you going over practically every day.”

“But, _mom_!” Cheryl argued. “I’m old enough to go by myself! All of my friends go by themselves.”

“Your _friends_ from the Southside?” Penelope snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “Jason told me all about the so-called friends you both have made down there. Neither of you are allowed to go back and you’re _especially_ not allowed to talk to the children of the Southside scum.”

“ _What?”_ Cheryl cried out. “You can’t do that! They’re our friends!”

“Not anymore, Cheryl,” Penelope huffed. “Did you know those kids’ families are part of a gang? They’re going to grow up and join it and you’re _not_ going to be friends with any gang members. What’s next? You start kissing that boy _Sweet Pea_? What kind of name is that?”

Cheryl sobbed, “Please, mommy. You can’t do that.”

“There’s no arguing, Cheryl. You both are _banned_ from Sweetwater River.”


	4. 16

_16._

[_A Teenager in Love – The Belmonts_  ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Xvgv92GBc)

**_1961_ **

Cheryl and Jason were not allowed to return to Sweetwater River, their parents keeping a close eye on their whereabouts. Cheryl had felt awful for Toni, she didn’t know _what_ the girl thought when she had failed to show up the next day to give her the gift she promised. She had spent the summers wondering why this had to happen to her, why Veronica was able to see Betty practically _every day._ She and Betty had started “going steady” their freshman year of high school, it became official when Veronica wore Betty’s class ring. That was a _big_ deal at Riverdale High, where only boys had dated girls, but it soon set the pathway for other students to start dating the same gender as well. Veronica Lodge always set _fads,_ but Cheryl had the feeling this wasn’t some trend. She had actually made a change around the school. Cheryl wished she was like that.

Originally a shy girl in middle school, she had started to make a name for herself as the “head bitch in charge.” Probably rooted from the days Toni used to refer to her as a queen, Cheryl found she liked being the center of attention and at the top. She did whatever she could in order to get to the top, including tearing down others.

When the announcement of Southside High’s closing got to the Northside, everyone was shocked to hear that the Southside students were being forced upon them. Riverdale High was already crowded enough and now there was going to be at least three hundred more students added. Upon hearing this, Cheryl had expressed her support of “wanting to get the Southside scum out of Riverdale High.” In the back of her mind, she remembered that Toni and her old friends went to Southside High. She still wore Toni’s necklace, but hid her affection for the Southside girl. She spoke ill of them even to Veronica and Josie, who had known of their close friendship.

“I was like twelve and _stupid_ ,” Cheryl huffed. “Everyone from the Southside is _scum_ , _including_ those freaks we used to play with.”

Despite this mentality, nothing prepared Cheryl for the day the Southside kids first entered Riverdale High. They made the hallways more crowded during classes switches and started two fights with some of the Bulldogs on the football team. Cheryl had to prevent Jason from going to talk to Sweet Pea, grabbing his shoulder and hissing that Sweet Pea was a dirty thug. She locked eyes with the girl standing next Sweet Pea, the words freezing on the tip of her tongue.

Toni Topaz in all her glory, her _gorgeous_ glory. Cheryl was blown away. For one, Toni was still short. The top of her head barely passing Cheryl’s shoulders. Her hair was completely pink now, braided in intricate designs that Cheryl was sure had been time consuming. Her face was thinner, she had pink eyeshadow on that matched her hair, and a leather jacket around her shoulders. Sweet Pea was wearing a leather jacket too, clearly overhearing what Cheryl had said about them being scum. There wasn’t a very happy look on Sweet Pea’s face, who crossed his arms intimidatingly. He was tall, strong and had a _real_ tattoo on the side of his neck. Her mother had told her about the Southside Serpents and she must’ve been right, Toni and her friends must’ve joined just like she said they would.

“Talking shit about us?” Sweet Pea asked, voice deeper than it used to be. “It’s almost as if you didn’t spend _two_ _years_ hanging out with us _scum_.”

Cheryl regained her composure, glaring at her former friend, “That was when I was stupid and naïve. When I could barely tell the difference between what good pizza was.”

“Did you really just compare us to being bad pizza?” Toni asked, huffing slightly. “Glad to see you’ve matured, I should’ve known you would act like this when you blew me off.”

The bell rang before Cheryl could angrily retort, signaling the start of second period. She threw her backpack over her shoulder.

“Do the Northside a favor and _stop_ talking to us. In fact, get out of our school,” Cheryl snapped, walking off towards her class. She took a few deep breaths, trying to subside the same flipping of her stomach.

* * *

 

Weeks had passed since her initial encounter with the Southside Serpents, the ones she used to call some of her closest friends. Despite her threat to Jason, he didn’t seem to take what she said to heart. She saw him conversing a few times with Sweet Pea, both laughing about something immature. Jason never liked to listen to Cheryl or their parents, liked to make his own decisions and do what he wanted. If that meant talking to the Southside scum that plagued their school, he’d do it if he wanted to. No matter how many threats were given to him.

Cheryl could barely manage to avoid all of them, they seemed to be everywhere. Fangs sat behind her in chemistry, Jughead was _always_ in the library when she needed to check out a book, and Sweet Pea was in her gym class. Avoiding Toni was a lot easier, she had no classes with the female gang member. Seeing her in the hallways was always a sight, but Cheryl had mastered the cold shoulder and acting like she had never spoken to the girl in her life. On most days they wore the same leather jacket with the intimidating snake on the back, representing the Southside gang. Although they never started trouble, trouble seemed to have a way of finding them. The Bulldogs were always the perpetrators, preventing the Southside students from having a drama free day at school.

She had sought out refuge in the girl’s restroom near the gym at the end of lunch period, choosing to escape the daily highs and lows of high school in favor of correcting her red lipstick and dabbing at the mascara that had worn off under her eyelids. She looked over her appearance in the mirror, examining her burgundy wrap crop top and black skirt. Her clothes were also pressed and perfect, just like her image. Since the arrival of the Southside students, she felt as if a cracked had formed in that image. The trapped want of her former 13-year-old self _begged_ to be released, to run to Toni and wrap her arms around her. She looked at the golden “A” necklace around her neck, causing her to reach up and touch it delicately in the mirror.

“So, despite ditching me and not leaving a trace you _still_ wear it.”

Cheryl whirled around to see Toni standing near the door of the restroom, arms crossed over her chest. She had successfully gone _weeks_ without even looking at the girl and now she had come to _talk_?

“Screw off,” Cheryl snapped, rolling her eyes. “I told you not to talk to me.”

Toni frowned as she stepped forward, “I’ll leave you alone once I get my answer. _Why_ didn’t you come back to Sweetwater River after that day?”

Cheryl immediately felt a wave of emotion wash over her as Toni got closer. The girl was still shorter than her as always but smelt like honey and saffron. There was an urge to slap the girl in front of her…but also kiss her. Damn hormones.

Cheryl gulped, “Because I realized the _scum_ that you were and still are.”

“That’s not true, Cheryl and you know that,” Toni said, voice softening as her brown eyes looked past every wall Cheryl had up. “I know that’s not what you thought. You wouldn’t be wearing my necklace if you meant that.”

Cheryl’s bottom lip trembled, “Because my mother found out that Jason and I were friends with you guys and banned us from talking to you.”

“And you just listened to what she said and not treat us like shit?” Toni asked.

Cheryl’s gaze broke from Toni’s, unable to look her in the eyes anymore, “ _Yes_.”

“You don’t believe that we’re scum though. Don’t even pretend,” Toni added. “You shouldn’t have to do what your parents want.”

“Well, what I want to do kind of doesn’t matter,” Cheryl said, rolling her eyes.

“What is it that you want to do?”

Cheryl looked up at Toni, felt everything she felt at the river with her and more. Despite being absolutely _awful_ to them, it didn’t seem to scare the pink-haired girl off. Here she was continuing to press for answers, to hold onto former memories that her Serpent friends had thrown away after their tense reunion. Toni persisted, as if she knew this wasn’t Cheryl. This wasn’t the shy girl she had spent summers playing with at Sweetwater River, it was all an act. She knew it and she had barely been at Riverdale High for a few weeks. Cheryl had tricked everyone _but_ Toni Topaz.

The feeling in her stomach and the flood of the same emotions she felt when she was around Toni were too much for her. Cheryl had never had good self-control, even as a kid. Now was no different, so it wasn’t surprising for her to act on impulse. Impulse told her to surge towards the girl who protected her at the river, her princess in shining armor. Their lips collided together in a searing kiss, Cheryl wasting no time to grab a fistful of Toni’s shirt to forcefully pull her closer.

Toni gasped in surprise but was soon reciprocating with equal vigor. This kiss was far different from the one they shared at thirteen. There was no hesitancy, no nervousness from kissing being a _new_ thing. At sixteen, they both had a better grasp on what they were doing. Cheryl had watched many romance films, even kissed Archie Andrews and Reggie Mantle at one point. They weren’t very good for practice, but at least she knew what was going on now.

They continued to kiss hungrily, Toni quickly taking control as Cheryl felt the emotions in her stomach too much to bare. Tears threatened at her eyes, she had been wanting to do this for three years. Toni had invaded her dreams, had made her extremely hesitant to accept dates with the many boys who asked her out. There was a small hope that she’d see Toni again and that everything would be okay. She got her wish to see Toni again, but everything _wasn’t_ okay. Just because most families were okay with their children going steady with whoever they wanted, didn’t mean Cheryl’s. Not only did they expect Cheryl to marry a man, they wanted a rich one too. Toni was neither of those things as a girl from the Southside. Oh, how she wished things were different.

* * *

 

A rather unspoken agreement had formed between the two girls from practically different worlds despite living in the same town. Their encounter in the girls’ restroom wasn’t a once and done thing, instead it became ongoing. They both were classy enough to take it out of the restroom, instead meeting in secret at their favorite spot, Sweetwater River. Cheryl was just happy that she had Toni, even if in secret. To the rest of the school, Cheryl was still the Head Bitch in Charge. But at Sweetwater River in the back of her car, she was Toni’s queen and Toni her princess in shining armor just like when they were kids. Only Sweet Pea knew of the arrangement, but that was only because he got suspicious of where Toni would go to at night and followed her. Although hesitant with the arrangement, he kept quiet.

Cheryl liked the thrill of Toni being her secret girlfriend, liked sneaking out of her house through her window in order to meet up with her. Toni was always soft with her, would listen to everything that the girl said and offer advice. It was everything Cheryl could ask for and more, quickly falling for the girl she had met at the river five years ago. In the back of her convertible was the only time Cheryl felt like she could just be _her._ Be the shy girl at the river, be the queen Toni thought of her as.

The time they spent in the back of Cheryl’s car was always full of soft touches, softer music, and lots of soft kissing. It soon became very hard to act like they were nothing while outside of Sweetwater River, not glancing at her in the hallways or reaching for her hand when she missed Toni’s touch. Although rather secretive, they made it work for the remainder of high school.

Since she was little, Cheryl had dreamed of attending prom. She dreamed of going to a boutique and picking out a gorgeous dress, having a matching corsage, and becoming prom queen. Junior prom was a once in a lifetime opportunity, one that Cheryl had waited for eagerly as the years passed. Cheryl’s former self would’ve been absolutely livid if they knew Cheryl would skip out on her one chance to become prom queen. It was a good thing she couldn’t her former self couldn’t see the future, because she was currently straddling Toni’s lap in the back of her car at Sweetwater River instead of going to prom.

Prom meant having to go with a date, but she couldn’t publicly go with Toni…so why bother going at all? They were currently stuck in a thunderstorm, practically a torrential down pour. Large droplets of water beat down on top of the car and a low rumble of thunder in the distance masked their soft moans. They both had reached this stage of wet kisses and fondling many times, stopping before things went too far. However, this time seemed to be different.

Toni’s hands gripped Cheryl’s hips tightly, causing Cheryl to grind down on her lap. Her hands cupped Toni’s cheeks as she gasped, lips breaking from their passionate kiss. Toni’s eyes widened, surprised by Cheryl’s response to the stimulation. Neither girl really knew what they were doing but knew that it felt good. Cheryl looked down at Toni from where she was on her lap, pushing the pink hair behind her ear.

“Do…do you want to?” Toni asked nervously, fingers skating over the waistband to Cheryl’s mini skirt.

Cheryl bit her bottom lip, goosebumps forming under Toni’s touch. She stared the Southside Serpent in the eyes, brushed her thumb over the girl’s bottom lip, remembered what it was like when they had their first kiss. She never thought the girl who had been the first person to kiss her would be the one to take her virginity, it was a bit overwhelming. Cheryl wanted it though, wanted Toni to be the first person to make her feel good in ways she only did by herself.

“ _Yes_ ,” Cheryl responded, whispering against Toni’s lips. “I want this.”

She took Toni’s hand and guided it inside the waistband of her skirt, kissing her softly as they let hormones and attraction take over.


	5. 18

_18._

_[All I Have to Do Is Dream – The Everly Brothers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbU3zdAgiX8) _

**_1963_ **

The remainder of their time at Riverdale High went by in a blur and graduation had crept up on them faster than Cheryl would’ve liked. She and Toni had somehow remained extremely close during that time, continuing their secret meetings at Sweetwater River. The meetings had increased to a daily occurrence, making it clockwork for them to show up at the dirt parking lot and climb into the back of Cheryl’s car. She had given every part of herself to Toni, relishing in just how much Toni could make her feel good. She continued to wear Toni’s necklace, which was something that Toni seemed to like to see. Toni also enjoyed Cheryl wearing her leather jacket almost as much as Cheryl enjoyed wearing it.

Toni Topaz was Cheryl’s saving grace, being there for her through absolutely _everything._ From the passing of her beloved Nana Rose, to waiting on anxiously every time she got an acceptance letter for various universities, Toni was the support that Cheryl never felt like she had. That’s why it was so much harder to have to say goodbye to Toni when she went off to college. They had spent the last summer together, kissing and swimming and trying to forget about how many days until Cheryl had to leave for college. Toni had applied to universities and got into most of them, but her grandpa’s deteriorating health was becoming worse and worse. Since she couldn’t rely on her uncle to take care of him, Toni decided to take a year off in order to tend to her grandpa. Cheryl was slightly disheartened by this, knowing Toni had more potential than sticking around Riverdale. She made Toni promise that she would go to college next year, that she would excel and make a name for herself.

Seeing Toni Topaz in her blue graduation cap and gown made Cheryl want to burst into tears despite the fact she was graduating herself. Toni had spent hours talking to her about her family, how she was going to be the first person in her family to ever graduate high school. Cheryl was extremely proud of her girlfriend, helping her through her endless amount of chemistry homework and photography projects. Toni _deserved_ this. Deserved to spread her wings and fly away from the dreaded Rockland County town called Riverdale.

The last day of summer was somber, both girls barely wanted to speak on the issue. They both knew where their relationship was heading, having both already discussed what would happen when it was time for college. Cheryl spent the entire day on the back of Toni’s bike, kissing her, holding her as they swam in the water at Sweetwater River. She was ready to let go of Riverdale, to leave it behind and spread her wings. However, she wasn’t ready to leave Toni behind and always expected that when they got to that stage in their life that Toni would be following her to college. But, this was reality and they needed to be mature.

“I’m going to miss you,” Cheryl mumbled against Toni’s lips. Tears stung at her eyes as she clutched at Toni’s jacket and ran a hand through her hair.

Toni was crying softly, tears falling down her cheeks at a fast pace. In the morning, Cheryl would be in a fully packed car on her way to her first semester of college in Massachusetts.

“I miss you already,” Toni replied, kissing Cheryl firmly. “If only I could’ve followed.”

“You need to take care of your grandpa,” Cheryl reminded her, stroking her hair. “And I am so proud of you for choosing to help him. You have the biggest, softest heart Toni.”

“I…I don’t want to break up,” Toni croaked, trying not to sob.

“I don’t either, baby,” Cheryl replied, tears slipping down her cheeks. “But, distance fucking sucks and I can’t go months without holding you in my arms like this.”

“You’re right,” Toni nodded. “One last kiss?”

Cheryl kissed her so passionately, hoping a piece of her heart would exit her body and enter Toni’s through their lips. Toni cupped the back of her neck and slid her tongue inside, running it along Cheryl’s with familiarity. Cheryl sighed into her mouth, eyes squeezing shut as she held onto Toni tightly. She was going to miss the pink-haired girl like crazy, not wanting to let go. But, she knew she didn’t belong in Riverdale…at least not right now.

“ _I love you_ ,” Cheryl said, once they had broken their kiss. Their foreheads were touching softly. “I’m so in love with you, Toni.”

“I’m in love with you too, Cheryl,” Toni said, stroking Cheryl’s cheek. “Maybe one day we’ll find a way back together. Just don’t forget about me in Boston.”

“I could never.”


	6. 20

_20._

[ _Mr. Blue – The Fleetwoods_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m05P36iAAMw)

**_1965_ **

For the first two years of college, Cheryl rarely returned to her house in Riverdale. It wasn’t because she was avoiding the dreary town, it was because Boston had opened her up to an array of opportunities. The first summer she had an internship which required her to stay in Boston and the second summer she had jetted off to Europe to vacation with her friends. Well, maybe she did try to avoid Riverdale a little bit. For the first year, there wasn’t a day Toni hadn’t crossed her mind. She wanted _desperately_ to hear from Toni, to write her a letter or drive down to Riverdale for the weekend. But, Cheryl knew better than to listen to her instincts. This was supposed to be her new life, away from Riverdale, away from its people.

By Christmas break of her junior year, Toni only crossed her mind every so often. She still wore the necklace religiously around her neck, despite people saying it looked worn down. Toni had become a high school romance, her feelings for the girl going dormant. Or that was at least what she wanted herself to think. She _couldn’t_ keep liking Toni, her parents would never approve of the pink-haired biker. Instead, they wanted high-class men in fraternities like Nick St. Clair.

She didn’t even expect to run into Toni outside Pop’s, barely thinking about how small the town was and how popular of a place Pop’s was. Toni was exiting just as Cheryl was entering, causing both women to freeze in place and stare.

“Hi,” Cheryl said breathlessly, mouth falling open slightly. Toni still looked the same, though her face was thinner, and her cheekbones were more prominent. Cheryl’s mind went into a fury of emotions, practically wanting to throw up from the intense feeling. Toni didn’t look too levelheaded either. 

“You know I had a feeling I would be running into you at Pop’s,” Toni said, allowing the door to close behind her. “Word is this is one of the first times you’ve returned to Riverdale since you left for college.”

“Guilty,” Cheryl shrugged. “I’ve been kind of busy with internships and…trips.”

“I see you got busy in other ways,” Toni said, nodding at the pin on the left side of Cheryl’s shirt. It was her boyfriend Nick’s fraternity crest, a symbolism of their relationship.

Cheryl blushed and stuttered, “I-I…Yeah, I have a boyfriend.”

“Good for you,” Toni replied, though she didn’t sound very happy for Cheryl.

“Well, what have you been up to? How’s your grandpa?” Cheryl asked, trying to steer the conversation away from her current relationship.

“He’s dead. He passed away last year,” Toni said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh my god, Toni. I’m so sorry, I had no idea,” Cheryl gasped. “What have you been up to? Did you end up going to college?”

“No, but I live with Sweet Pea now. It’s nice, but kind of small,” Toni said, eyes flickering behind Cheryl. “I’m saving up for college though, I’m a bartender at the Whyte Wyrm. Maybe if I get my college degree I won’t be such baggage.”

“Toni, don’t be like that,” Cheryl started, but felt a warm hand on her back as someone approached them.

She felt Nick press his lips to her cheek, his familiar smell filled her nose as Toni watched on with a hard expression. She and Nick had been dating for about six months, the first relationship Cheryl had since being with Toni. Although he was the complete opposite of the Southside girl, he wasn’t _that_ bad of a guy. He was no Toni.

“Who’s this, doll?” Nick asked, sniffling as he looked at Toni. “One of your friends from high school?”

“Toni Topaz,” Toni spoke up, not offering her hand. “We went to high school together the last two years when my school merged with hers.”

“I heard all about that from Cheryl here,” Nick said. “I’m Nick, Cheryl’s boyfriend.”

“I’ve heard.”

“So, you must be from the Southside then, what’s it like to grow up among scum?” Nick asked.

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Toni asked, huffing slightly. “We are not scum.”

“He didn’t mean it like that,” Cheryl spoke up, defending her boyfriend. “He just has never grown up in those conditions.”

“Didn’t mean any offense,” Nick smirked. “You know, in _poverty_.”

Toni looked hatefully at Nick, “First of all, _fuck you,_ ” and turned to Cheryl, “You know I was hoping going off to college wouldn’t turn you back into the bitch you always pretended to be but, now I see how it is. You’re dating exactly what you wanted to be in high school.”

“ _Toni!”_

“No Cheryl, I get it. It’s loud and clear, kindly fuck off like your boyfriend,” Toni huffed, pushing past them and towards her motorcycle leaving Cheryl stunned in the entrance of Pop’s.


	7. 24

_24._

[ _The End of the World – Skeeter Davis_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sonLd-32ns4)

**_1969_ **

The sound of a motorcycle entering the dirt parking lot of Sweetwater River caused Cheryl to lift her head from the steering wheel of her car. At first, she had thought she was hearing things, her brain subconsciously aching for Toni to make an appearance. It had become apparent that she wasn’t just imagining things when a motorcycle pulled up near to her, engine roaring before it cut off abruptly.

Cheryl looked over to see the biker pull the helmet over their head, a cascade of light pink fell down the back of their leather jacket. Cheryl’s mouth fell open slightly, immediately closing once she saw the familiar woman next to her look over.

She fumbled for her door handle and stumbled out of her car, the gravel made her feet slip slightly as it crunched underneath her feet. Toni was waiting for her next to her motorcycle, eyes sweeping over Cheryl’s appearance.

“What are you doing here?” Cheryl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. The cool May air made goosebumps rise up on her arms, making her second guess why she got out of her warm car.

“I come here to think too,” Toni shrugged, as she raised her eyebrows. “I assume that’s the same reason why you’re here as well.”

“I just…” Cheryl began, trying to compose herself. “It’s just, the last time we saw each other you kind of told me to fuck off.”

Toni shrugged, “That was over four years ago. Plus, I wasn’t expecting you’d be here too. Why are you even back in Riverdale?”

“To visit my parents,” Cheryl shrugged, gulping dryly. Toni really seemed to have grown up in the four years she hadn’t seen her. Cheryl had finished college two years before, graduating with her degree and starting her life. From what she knew, Toni hadn’t really started her life outside of Riverdale. She never followed through on her promise of going to college following her grandfather’s death.

They stood in silence for a few moments, teetering on the subject that they both knew was looming in the air. Cheryl wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up and she subconsciously stuffed her hands in her pockets to avoid Toni’s wandering eyes.

“I hear you’re getting married in a few weeks,” Toni spoke up, causing Cheryl to internally wince. “Engaged to the man who referred to my life as scum. You know, the message comes across when you send not only Sweet Pea an invitation but Jughead and Fangs one too.”

“It’s not like that,” Cheryl snapped. “I didn’t think you would’ve even wanted to go.”

Toni laughed sarcastically, “You’re right, Bombshell. I wouldn’t have, but it’s the thought that counts.”

She turned and began to walk towards the water, leaving Cheryl rather stunned and taken aback by the confrontation. She knew Toni was going to disapprove of her engagement if she ever found out, which is partly why Cheryl had purposely not added Toni to the guestlist. That’s weird, right? Inviting the first person you had ever fallen in love with to your wedding to someone they didn’t like? Cheryl watched as Toni walked towards the edge of the dark colored water, eyes transfixed on her figure as she bent over to remove her boots.

“What are you doing?” Cheryl asked in bewilderment.

Toni huffed, “Going for a swim. Was going to do that if you were here or not. You’re welcome to join if you want.”

Cheryl’s eyes widened as Toni stripped down to just her bra and panties before rushing into the dark colored water and diving beneath the surface. It caught Cheryl off guard, not expecting to see the flash of the Serpent tattoo on her hip or her underwear in general. The last time she had sex with Toni was a few days before she left for her freshman year at college, Toni’s body had definitely matured. Cheryl barely got a glimpse of Toni’s backside before she was under the water and swimming towards the center of the river.

“You coming?” Toni asked, flipping her wet hair behind her head and swimming backwards.

Cheryl looked at the pool of Toni’s clothing on the sand before glancing back at her former lover, her body itching to join her. Making up her mind, Cheryl quickly slid out of her shorts and tank top, feeling Toni’s eyes glued to her as she stepped towards the water. The water was ice cold under her toes, making her second guess the idea of joining Toni in the water. She looked up to see Toni standing up in the water a few feet away from her, holding out her hand to encourage Cheryl into the water.

She quickly stripped down to her bra and panties, taking Toni's hand as she led her into the water. It was cold, making goosebumps erupt over her body. Cheryl swam closer to Toni, finding that she was her only source of heat. 

"Remember when we had our first kiss here?" Toni asked, smiling slightly. "Feels like forever ago."

"I still remember everything about it," Cheryl admitted.

"You still wear the necklace," Toni pointed out, reaching forward to take look at it. "It really does look better on you."

"You told me to wear it every day, why would I take it off?"

Somehow they had ended up kissing again, which quickly escalated into Cheryl wrapping her legs around Toni's hips while Toni's fingers slid inside her. They kissed more and more, lips becoming inflamed as their breaths mixed together. Cheryl didn't have to think, allowing herself to be consumed by Toni's touch and her lips. She needed this...needed to feel Toni again.

She sobbed after she orgasmed, burying her face in Toni's neck. Toni held her silently, hugging her tightly as they floated in the dark water. She cried because in a perfect world she would be marrying Toni right now. She wanted this to be her happy ending, in Toni's arms. But, life is complicated and her parents expected something different.

"I can't," Cheryl sobbed. "We can't do this."

"I figured you'd say that," Toni sighed, stroking her hair. "Though it's still hard to hear."

 


	8. 26

_26._

[ _Unforgettable – Nat King Cole_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDN5rG3wLa4)

**_1971_ **

 For those who expected Cheryl to come to her senses and run back to her true love, Toni Topaz, they’d be very disappointed. Cheryl went through with marrying her college boyfriend Nick St. Clair in a rather lavish and large ceremony a few weeks later. The immense guilt she carried due to the fact she had literally _had sex_ with Toni at Sweetwater River haunted her well after the day she got married. She was never someone who had thought she’d end up cheating, nor did she want to be selfish and break Toni’s heart all over again. But, there was something about Toni that she couldn’t shake. She was drawn to the shorter girl, which is probably why she should’ve stayed away from Toni at all costs…or else she’d probably do it again.

Much to her want to avoid Toni for the rest of her life, she and Nick closed on a fairly nice house on the farthest point north of Riverdale. It was a rather beautiful house, with a while picket fence and their cars parked out front. Betty called it the typical “American apple pie” kind of home, a home that had been bought with intention of spending the rest of their lives there.

It wasn’t until Cheryl stumbled across Toni’s best friend Sweet Pea that reality struck once again, and she realized just how deep of a situation she was in. The grocery store always had a way of allowing people to stumble across people from their past. Cheryl shouldn’t have been surprised when she saw Sweet Pea in the produce section, carefully choosing green apples. His arms were littered with meaningless tattoos, rings on almost every finger, and even more of a tired look to his face.

He looked over as Cheryl passed by, as if almost surprised to see her. He pushed back his gelled hair and offered her a small smile, causing Cheryl to sigh in relief. There didn’t seem to be any bad blood between them, which meant Toni didn’t tell him anything or he didn’t mind.

“Hey there Sweets,” Cheryl smiled slightly, stopping her cart next to him. “It’s been a while.”

“God, I know,” Sweet Pea chuckled. “I heard you’re back in Riverdale.”

“And I hear you’re a new dad,” Cheryl countered. “I always knew you were going to be the first to have one.”

“Betty and Veronica are not far behind, isn’t Ronnie due like any week now?” Sweet Pea asked, dropping the apples into his cart. “Their kid can date mine since I never got to date Veronica in high school.”

“ _Please_ like you had a chance. Betty had Veronica’s heart since she saw her at the river that one summer,” Cheryl giggled. “Are you going to their wedding next spring?”

“Yeah, just sent my RSVP back,” Sweet Pea nodded, growing awkward. “Sorry I didn’t go to you and Nick’s wedding. I feel like it would’ve been weird given what happened with Toni.”

Cheryl nodded, “No I totally get that, I shouldn’t have invited you guys. I didn’t even invite her…how has she been?”

“Well, she got her degree in photography,” Nick said, reaching for a bag to begin filling it with oranges. “She saved up for a long time, literally never spent money on anything. She’s traveling South America right now, last I heard she’s in Brazil. She’s trying to photograph the world.”

Cheryl raised her eyebrows in surprise, “ _Wow_ , that’s something. I didn’t think she’d ever leave Riverdale.”

“She’s been here her whole life, she needed to go,” Sweet Pea laughed, but his smile faltered once he saw Cheryl’s disappointed face. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” Cheryl lied, Toni really did move on. She got her degree and left Riverdale, right when Cheryl had come back. Who was she kidding? Was she expecting to have an extramarital affair with the woman? She was married! “Has she been seeing anyone?”

“She’s been some girl she met at college last I checked,” Sweet Pea said. “Though she must not be anything much since Toni hasn’t said much about her. She doesn’t gush about her like she used to about you.”

* * *

It turned out Toni had moved to New York City six months later, coming back from her backpacking trip in Brazil and settling down. Cheryl did her best to try not to keep up with her, but Sweet Pea easily answered any questions she had.  

Surprisingly, Toni had sent out an open invitation to her opening night at a gallery, where photos from her trip would be displayed. Veronica and Betty were invited directly, pushing for Cheryl and Nick to go with them. Initially, Cheryl had refused. Why would she go? It was Nick who had urged for them to go, wanting to go to the city for a weekend since they hadn’t really gone anywhere since moving in to Riverdale.

Nick clutched her leg in the taxi on their way to the art gallery in Queens, only making Cheryl’s nerves grow upon seeing her former lover. It had been what…two years since she had last seen her? And on top of that, they had sex too…three weeks before she married Nick. Maybe her relationship with Nick now was karma for what she had done, she had been the one to initiate it. It wasn’t ok, not to Toni and not to Nick. But, Cheryl liked to give in to her urges and indulge. The guilt ate away at her for months, despite the fact she and Nick’s life as a married couple had started off absolutely perfect.

It wasn’t until after they celebrated their first year of marriage that things seemed to head downhill. Nick had taken over his father’s business selling _____ out of Riverdale and commuting to New York City frequently. Things were great at first and then suddenly they weren’t. With recent times, it seemed that people just weren’t buying ___ as much as they used to. Nick would spend frequent nights away in New York City trying to salvage his business, leaving Cheryl alone in an empty house with only Veronica and Betty checking in on her occasionally.

With a failing business came a rather destructive way of coping from Nick. She began to notice it when taking out the recycling one day, opening the lid only to notice how many empty cans and bottles were inside. Cheryl wasn’t one to drink very often anymore and Nick didn’t invite his friends over often. He was consuming an ungodly amount of alcohol on his own, she even caught him stealing sips in the morning with his coffee.

Nick didn’t want to hear from her that he had a problem, exploding on her whenever she brought it up. After dealing with the anger and yelling for over 18 years with her parents, Cheryl seemed to have lost all bite in her voice when arguing with Nick. Sure, sometimes she got angry with him and they got in really loud fights…but other times she just stayed quiet and continued to hide his problem with a smile on her face.

Despite his growing alcohol reliance, Nick had become fixated on wanting children as well. He brought it up often, that he wanted kids, that they were only getting older and now was the time for Cheryl to be having children. Children? Cheryl froze up at the thought, she had never really considered it. She and Nick never talked about it until after they got married, where Cheryl had put her foot down and said that she wasn’t going to be having children anytime soon. She was twenty-six years old, so what if this was the “ideal time” to have children? She barely even thought about kids, much less with Nick.

She remembered their conversation the previous night before they left for New York City to see Toni’s gallery, where he gave her a whole speech on why they should be having kids now and was pulling statistics and statements out of his ass as if he had spent hours researching it in order to convince her.

He bent over her from where she was lying in their shared bed, reaching out to grip the necklace around her neck. His breath smelt of beer and his eyes were watery and red.

“Why do you even wear this shit still?” Nick slurred, gripping the “A” pendent. “It’s tarnished.”

“I’ll get it cleaned,” Cheryl remarked, not meeting his eyes. She tried her best to continue to look at the book in front of her.

“Whatever. I could get you a better-looking necklace than that thing. You won’t even tell me why you wear it,” Nick sighed, straightening up. He burped loudly and pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head. “I’m exhausted.”

“Maybe you should get some sleep then,” Cheryl said, glancing at him from over the screen. She looked down at her ring finger, the large diamond seemed like everything she wanted at the time. But, recently she found herself not even wanting to look at it.

Nick bent down and kissed her, his lips firm and tasting of whatever he had been drinking. She almost cringed but did her best to keep a straight face.

“I think your friend’s gallery is going to be really nice. I’ve seen some of her stuff already and she’s got an eye for sunsets,” Nick remarked.

And here they were in the taxi, with Nick gripping her thigh as he looked out the window. They arrived at the gallery an hour after it had started, Cheryl not wanting to seem too eager. Veronica and Betty were already there, both wearing beautiful dresses for the event. Cheryl had decided to wear a forest green dress, matching with her husband’s stone-grey suit and green tie.

Cheryl’s nerves seemed to skyrocket once they crossed the threshold of the door and into the gallery, allowing Cheryl to get an eyeful of all of Toni’s photos. The gallery was rather full of people, friends of Toni’s she didn’t know about, former Serpents who had did their best to dress formally. Cheryl spotted Sweet Pea wearing a second-hand suit, a little loose in the legs but overall it looked nice.

He offered her a smile, walking over to them and hugging Veronica first. When he hugged Cheryl, she couldn’t help but feel her stomach twist tightly. Over his shoulder she caught sight of a beautiful woman in a gorgeous magenta dress. At the same time she saw her, the woman turned from her jovial conversation to look at Cheryl. Cheryl could see her visibly gulp, freezing mid-sentence as they locked eyes.

Cheryl pulled away from her hug, regaining her composure as they talked to Sweet Pea. Cheryl could see the magenta floor length dress moving towards them from the corner of her eye, hugging the tiny frame of the woman nicely.

“It’s nice to see some old faces here,” Toni spoke up, announcing her arrival.

Veronica squealed as she pulled Toni into a tight hug, “Toni! You look _amazing!_ ”

“You do too, Ronnie,” Toni smiled, hugging Veronica back eagerly. “And let me see the soon to be Mrs. Lodge.”

Betty was the next to be hugged, allowing Cheryl to stare without it being weird. Toni looked as good as ever, if not better. Her hair was no longer pink, just blonde with brown roots. It made her look more mature, like she had purpose and poise. It wasn’t until Toni had turned her attention to Cheryl and Nick that she was snapped from her haze.

“Cheryl, Nick, _so_ glad you could make it,” Toni spoke, not moving to hug either of them. Cheryl could tell by her voice that there was a slight edge and bite to it, she wasn’t _so glad_ they had come.

“I’m actually a big fan of your work,” Nick spoke up, reaching to shake Toni’s hand. Toni’s eyebrows raised, knowing the disrespectful things he said about her the last time she had seen him.

“Thanks,” she said, a smile returning to her lips as they shook hands. “You’ve barely even seen any of the photos so I’m sure you’ll enjoy the rest.”

“Alright Toni, let’s see the rock you got,” Veronica said, reaching for Toni’s left hand. “I’ve been waiting anxiously for this since I heard the news.”

“What news?” Cheryl asked, frowning slightly as she looked between their small group.

“Toni’s engaged,” Sweet Pea spoke up, as Veronica pulled Toni’s hand to admire her ring.

Cheryl’s heart dropped as her eyebrows rose, mouth falling open slightly as she saw the diamond ring on Toni’s finger. Toni was beaming widely, and it reminded Cheryl that once upon a time (ten years ago) she had dreamed of putting that same ring on Toni’s finger. It was astonishing how much ten years could change everything.

“Wow…that’s great Toni, congratulations,” Cheryl said, doing her best to smile. “Who’s the lucky person?”

“Oh… she’s around here somewhere. I’m sure you’ll bump into her,” Toni said, rather vaguely.

Cheryl’s chest flared, _yeah she better hope I don’t bump into her._ It was a sudden thought that entered her head along with a surge of emotions. She needed a drink…or a few. Here she was with her husband hearing that her first love was engaged to another woman. How on Earth did she let Nick convince her to come?

Fuck that bitch, whoever Toni was going to marry. Fuck her.


	9. 31

_31._

_[I’ll Look Around – Billie Holiday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU03e25P78g) _

**_1976_ **

Soft cooing and innocent smiles was what kept Cheryl going in her early thirties. Nick left behind one thing when he turned Cheryl into a widow, a baby girl. Though she had silently hoped late at night that things with Nick would end, she didn’t expect the end would be burying his casket while heavily pregnant with their first child. The constant drinking and wasting away had caught up to him by the time he was twenty-nine and a few weeks away from being a first-time father. Though rather absent from Cheryl’s life the longer they were married, purpose was brought into his life following the discovery that Cheryl was pregnant.

All that hope and anticipation was cut short for him when he got behind the wheel after a long night of drinking, which resulted in him hitting a telephone pole head on. He died instantly, leaving Cheryl a heavily pregnant widow who had to bury him a week later. She felt numb following the call that her husband had died but wasn’t upset.

The wedding rings were placed on her bedside table as she sat on their bed, running a hand over her stomach. She had done this for him and now he wouldn’t be around to see their daughter grow up. It was an unsettling feeling, realizing she was going to be a single mother raising a child on her own. Yet, there was a sense of relief that had washed over her. Nick would no longer come home reeking of alcohol, easily getting infuriated when something didn’t go his way, and leaving Cheryl quiet and withdrawn.

She wanted nothing more than to have a perfect family because the one she grew up with never was. Her parents were cold and unforgiving, making Cheryl dream of having a happy family and a nice house. But the truth was she never had that and would never had that. Nick was never a good husband, she only settled in hopes she would make that childhood dream come true. Now he was dead, and she was going to be having a baby within the next couple weeks. There was no perfect happy family now.

Though easily able to take off the wedding rings, the necklace Toni had given her when they were twelve still remained around her neck. She saw it every time she looked in the mirror when she took a shower, admiring it and how it rested right at her protruding collarbones. Toni was probably still in New York City, married to whatever woman had stolen her heart like she had stolen Cheryl’s all those years ago. It made her angry to think about it, so she tried not to.

When her daughter finally entered her world while Cheryl was squeezing Jason’s hand for dear life and practically yelling at the top of her lungs her life had new purpose. Once cleaned up and swaddled, her daughter was placed on her chest and she was finally able to study the features of the tiny baby. She and Nick had decided to name her Audrey St. Clair a few months ago, but after seeing the brown eyes of her daughter looking back at her she changed her mind. Sydney. The name meant someone who lived by the riverside. She didn’t know that until after the name had come to her head, but she knew that was what her daughter was meant to be named. Sydney Antoinette St. Clair.

Sydney became Cheryl’s happiness, what kept her going, what made her want to be the best mother she could be. Some nights were hard. Sydney never slept through the night and never failed to wake up wailing at 3am. Some days were harder and she wouldn’t stop crying. It sometimes made Cheryl cry in frustration, but in those moments Jason or Veronica never failed to show up to help. She counted on her friends to help her and they always did. Betty and Veronica usually came over a couple nights a week with their son for dinner. Jason stopped by to spend quality time with his sister and niece. Josie had a gift of making Sydney stop crying, Cheryl had no idea how.

The hardest part was not being able to open up on just what kind of husband Nick had been. For some reason, she just _couldn’t_. Couldn’t tell them that he had been a functioning alcoholic who would wake up to drink. In everyone’s eyes, Nick was a perfect husband who was going to be a doting father. They knew it was a DUI, but never knew much more. Cheryl refused to speak about it because they would’ve asked her, “if you were so miserable then why did you stay with him?” They would’ve questioned it, knowing Cheryl was a lot more unapologetic than that.

Fifteen months later, Sydney lay on her propped-up thighs. The older she got the more she looked like Nick. She had his dark wavy hair and defined chin, though there were aspects of Cheryl she carried. They had the same large smile, the kind of smile that would make anyone stop and look. Chocolate colored eyes and pale skin were other attributes of Cheryl’s, always making her stare in awe at just how beautiful her daughter was.

The only love she would ever find would be in her daughter, at this point she was over finding a new partner. Her daughter was everything she ever needed to love, maybe they would never be the family Cheryl had envisioned as a child…but they could still be a perfect family.


	10. 32

_32._

_[I Wanna Be Loved By You – Marilyn Monroe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eDHlgnRuaM) _

**_1977_ **

For a few years prior to Sydney, Cheryl was never able to set foot at Sweetwater River again. Not after what she and Toni did a few weeks before she got married to Nick. The river brought amazing memories, but also made her sad that life wasn’t still like that. As Sydney got older, her want to graduate from the kiddy pool in the yard to swimming at Sweetwater River grew.

The first time Cheryl brought Sydney to the river was on an unbearably hot day in July right before Sydney’s third birthday. Excited squeals filled her car as Cheryl pulled into the gravel parking lot, looking at all the kids splashing in the water and running along the sand. The feeling of nostalgia crept up on her and she swore she almost saw the Serpents as children in the water once again.

Sydney ran to the water’s edge with her floaties on either arm, gasping at how the water and sand felt underneath her toes. It made Cheryl smile widely as she watched, remembering the first time her grandmother brought she and Jason to the river. She couldn’t help but get lost in thought as she looked around the river, the only thing that hadn’t really changed in the last twenty years in Riverdale.

She was too lost in thought to realize Sydney had run off, coming to her senses as panic quickly set in. Cheryl called Sydney’s name as she looked around the water, praying that she wouldn’t spot her in the water. Not seeing her daughter, she looked along the beach and spotted the vibrant pink pathing suit and yellow floaties of her daughter. She was laughing loudly as a wired-haired dog licked her small hand.

“No, he’s not my dog. He’s my best friend’s dog. I wish he was my dog though.”

Cheryl froze as she approached her daughter in the dog, immediately recognizing the voice and stopping in her tracks. Bent next to the dog was Toni Topaz, blonde hair shining in the sun and forehead dripping with sweat.

“He’s so big,” Sydney said, patting the dog’s head a little too hard.

“Sydney remember to pet gently, ok?” Cheryl said, announcing her presence as she approached both of them.

“I _know_ mommy,” Sydney said, starting to pet the dog softer.

Toni looked up at Cheryl, mouth falling open slightly as she straightened up. Once standing upright, she pushed the sunglasses she was wearing on top of her head to get a better look at Cheryl.

“Oh, this is your daughter?” Toni asked. “I knew she looked a little familiar.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you moved to New York City,” Cheryl asked, crossing her arms.

Toni laughed, “That was six years ago. I decided to move back a few months ago. There wasn’t really anything for me there that made it worth staying for.”

“Isn’t your wife from there?” Cheryl asked, eyes flickering down to Toni’s hand in search for a ring.

“Oh…no. We never got married,” Toni said, shaking her head. “We called off the engagement a few months after my gallery.”

Cheryl’s heart lurched, “Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s ok, it’s been six years since that happened. Kind of gave up on the whole life partner thing,” Toni shrugged. “I heard about Nick when it happened. I would’ve reached out when it happened, but I didn’t think it was appropriate. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Toni, I know you’re not sorry,” Cheryl said, a slight bite to her voice. “Besides, he was practically an alcoholic and it was miserable living with him.”

She was surprised with how easily the words left her mouth since she was unable to tell her closest friends about what happened. It was probably to invalidate him, since she always wanted Toni to know that she was a better partner than Nick had ever come close to.

“Oh…well then I actually am sorry Cheryl,” Toni said, watching Sydney run with the dog to the water’s edge. “She’s beautiful…your daughter. I always knew you’d have attractive children.”

“You know, I was kind of hoping she’d come out looking more like me than she does,” Cheryl admitted. “But, as the days go on I see more and more of me in her. Personality wise especially.”

“Is she sassy like you are?” Toni giggled.

Cheryl laughed, “Definitely. And a picky eater too. I feel like macaroni and cheese is going to be her first love.”

“I like the name Sydney,” Toni said, turning to look at Cheryl. “She definitely looks like one.”

“Her name was going to be Audrey,” Cheryl admitted. “But, the first time I laid eyes on her the name Sydney came to mind.”

The two women continued to chat while Sydney played with the dog. The topics of discussion were mostly about their life as kids, how often they used to play, and life after falling out of touch. Toni had become a fairly well-known photographer, earning her enough money to finally be financially stable. There was no more sleeping on couches and living in trailers, her first house was on the Northside of Riverdale…but she never fell out of touch with her Southside roots.

“Sweet Pea has been the one to help out the most. Which is crazy because he’s a father of three and somehow juggling a fulltime job too,” Toni said.

“Three kids? Wow and I thought having one was enough work,” Cheryl laughed, scanning Toni’s face. “Hey, do you want to come over for dinner? We’re having lasagna.”

“Is that ok?” Toni asked, looking over at Cheryl.

“Well I’m asking you, aren’t I?” Cheryl giggled.

“Then I’ll be there.”

Somehow Toni made her feel like she was seventeen again despite the fact they were both in their early thirties.

* * *

 

Watching Toni interact with Sydney left a constant smile on Cheryl’s face during their dinner. Sydney seemed to have taken an immediate liking to Toni, asking to sit next to her at dinner and always fighting with Cheryl for her attention. Toni was really good with her, claiming that she had a lot of practice with Sweet Pea’s kids since she was their aunt. There was a patience with how Toni interacted with Sydney, not getting frustrated with the fact Sydney was too loud sometimes.

She carried a sleeping Sydney up to her bedroom after falling asleep while watching a movie together, Cheryl in tow behind her as they climbed the stairs. Toni gently tucked her into bed and pulled the covers over her sleeping body. There was something about observing Toni from a distance. She could still see aspects of Toni when they were young, but there was also a strong sense of maturity that radiated off her. She seemed very put together, carefree and strong-willed.

It wasn’t until Toni was getting ready to leave that Cheryl brought her observations up.

“You know, you’ve grown up to be quite the woman Ms. Toni Topaz,” Cheryl remarked, watching Toni pull on shoes. “Paying for college all on your own and traveling the world.”

“I had high ambitions. You always knew that. I never shut up about it in high school,” Toni smiled as she tied the laces. “Thank you for having me over for dinner, Cheryl. It was really nice to see you again.”

“You know, I have something to admit,” Cheryl said, leaning against the wall. “Her middle name is Antoinette.”

Toni’s eyebrows raised, “Seriously? Sydney’s?”

Cheryl nodded, “Just always looking for ways to keep your memory around.”

Toni stood up and reached for her jacket, “If we’re admitting things here… I never went through with getting married because it never felt right. You know, like despite the fact you were married, and everything seemed like things would never spark again between us I could never settle with anyone else because I always felt like it was supposed to be you and I in the end.”

Cheryl felt her heart soar and her heartbeat begin to speed up, “Well… it’s not impossible. It could still happen. I mean…I still wear your necklace.”

“Do you want it to?”

Without hesitation, Cheryl leaned forward to kiss Toni. Her eyes fluttered closed as she tasted Toni’s lips for the first time in over eight years. Toni gasped in shock but quickly reciprocated the kiss, cupping Cheryl’s cheek as Cheryl gripped waist tightly. The only thing Cheryl was focused on was Toni’s smell, the taste of her mouth, and the feeling of her hands on her cheeks. If there was one thing she was sure about it was that no matter how much time apart they had spent, she would never get over her childhood love.  

It was one simple kiss, but it left Cheryl feeling a million things at once for the shorter woman. Their lips lingered on each other’s in a simple kiss, only breaking away when Toni stepped back.

“I hope to be seeing more of you around here,” Cheryl admitted, stomach flopping from their kiss.

“We can make that happen,” Toni beamed.


	11. 35

_35._

_[At Last – Etta James](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwzDxp2TC7I)_  

_**1980** _

Marrying Toni Topaz should’ve been her first and only marriage. All of the buildup that lead to their wedding day made Cheryl realize that the perfect family she had dreamed of was right in front of her with Toni. Toni made her happy beyond belief, which was something that had been true for over twenty years. There was a sparkle that she brought with her presence that never failed to make Cheryl’s stomach flip. Even after all these years. And now she was marrying her…finally.

It was a small ceremony in the early spring, full of happiness and love. Only their closest friends went, those who were like family to the two women. The outdoor ceremony was nestled beneath many trees and by the river, making Cheryl feel like she was actually doing something right in her life. This wedding was already better than her first, seeing the beauty in a small and simple ceremony than the lavish wedding full of people she barely knew.

Toni looked beautiful in her dress, beaming at Cheryl with Sydney standing next to her. Sydney, now five, had begun calling Toni “mama” a year after she and Cheryl started dating. She was the flower girl of the wedding and the only person more excited than Cheryl that she was marrying Toni. She wished it didn’t take this long to not care about what anyone thought about her life, things could’ve been so much different.

Toni had stepped up as a mother, devoting all of her time to being a second parent for Sydney and a lifetime partner for Cheryl. They moved into Toni’s house, selling the one Cheryl and Sydney stayed at and making Toni’s their own. Toni had spent hours planning to convert her guest bedroom into Sydney’s room, wanting to surprise her with the room when they moved in with her. Toni helped Sydney with potty-training, counting, singing the alphabet, even got a car and only used her motorcycle on special occasions. She was everything Cheryl could’ve asked for and more…and she treated Sydney like she was her own.

It felt right to propose to Toni after cooking for her while celebrating two years together in Cape Cod. They had gone away for the weekend, leaving Sydney at Betty and Veronica’s. Toni didn’t see it coming, mouth falling open in shock when Cheryl got down on one knee while rinsing off the dishes. She said yes immediately, fawning over the elegant and rather simple ring that Cheryl had picked. Toni never liked anything too flashy, so going big was definitely not for her.

Cheryl wanted anything Toni did, happy that she finally got the girl of her dreams and could truly be in a happy relationship with someone. Toni was affectionate, nurturing, and always could pick up on when Cheryl was in a bad mood. She went out of her way for her and stayed up late at night, so Cheryl could rant about the negatives in her life. Toni was an amazing mother to Sydney and would be to the child growing inside Cheryl now.

“I do.”

The words fell effortlessly from her lips, as if they were meant to be said at Toni. She never meant those words more.


	12. 38

_38._

[ _Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6TmogXhOZ8)

Cheryl thought Sydney would always be the only child she ever had, but she realized she was really bad at predicting her future when Sage Daniel Topaz entered the world with lots of curly brown hair, kicking and screaming. He looked like a spitting image of Toni, large brown eyes and full lips that made Cheryl swoon.

He came about a month after they married, bringing many fond memories and a brother for Sydney. Sydney was enamored by her brother, not wanting to leave his side when she started kindergarten that fall. She liked to bottle feed him and help change his diapers. Even two years later, she still was just as taken by her brother as when he was first born.

Cheryl thought of herself to be the luckiest woman on Earth. She had two children that she adored and would do anything for and a wonderful wife that still brought her flowers every Friday night.

The least she could do for Toni was take her to the Bahamas, a location Toni had talked about wanting to go to for ages. They went for their honeymoon since Cheryl was heavily pregnant when they got married and were never able to go. Though almost in their forties, Toni never failed to make Cheryl feel like she was on top of the world. Their connection had only increased as the years went on and the sex? Cheryl didn’t talk about it often but if she a little tipsy she’d admit it was getting better the older they got.

It was always meant to be Cheryl and Toni Topaz. It just took a little while to get there.


	13. 47

_47._

_[Crazy He Calls Me – Billie Holiday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pcATgmHBdk) _

**_1992_ **

Sydney asked Toni to adopt her on Christmas Day, something that she and Cheryl had spent a few weeks planning without Toni finding out. Now seventeen, the only other person that Sydney had viewed as her parent was Toni. She had been calling Toni her mom since she was little, thinking of Toni the same way she thought of Cheryl.

She had asked Cheryl if she’d let Toni adopt her casually on the way home from soccer practice, causing Cheryl to tear up with happiness.

“She’s like the only other parent I ever knew, mom,” Sydney pointed out. “And…it just feels right having her as that. I think Sydney Topaz sounds better than Sydney St. Clair anyway.”

“You want her last name too?” Cheryl asked, looking over at her daughter. Despite looking like Nick in the beginning, Sydney now looked more like Cheryl now that she was older.

“Well yeah. I never knew my dad and I’m the only one without the last name Topaz,” Sydney shrugged. “So, will you help me?”

Cheryl wasn’t sure she had ever seen Toni cry that much when she opened the box that contained the adoption papers for Sydney. She hugged Sydney so tightly that Cheryl was sure that she may crush her. Toni had said yes to adopt Sydney just as enthusiastically as she had said yes to marry Cheryl.

They both were in their mid-forties and showing signs of age, but Cheryl still thought that Toni was the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet.


	14. 64

_64._

_[The Way You Look Tonight – Tony Bennett](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VywfSHIdIkk) _

**_2007_ **

To be parents was one thing, but _grandparents_ was another. They were old and wrinkly, but Cheryl’s thoughts on how beautiful Toni was still remained. They were both retired, spending their time spoiling their five grandchildren and travelling the world.

Their favorite thing to do with their grandchildren in the summer? Taking them to Sweetwater River to play with the other children. They’d sit on beach chairs like how Nana Rose used to and observe the children while they held hands. Sometimes they would have conversations, but as the years went on they found each other’s silence was just as good. Toni always stroked Cheryl’s hand with her thumb and made sure Cheryl wore enough sunscreen.

This is where she was meant to be, living out the remainder of their days with each other and their children and their grandchildren. Happy. Content. Together.

Toni lifted Cheryl’s hand to her lips to kiss is lovingly, letting Cheryl know that all of this happened because of Sweetwater River.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you cry?? leave a comment


End file.
